Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-22
AWFUL DISASTER.
A STEAMER BURNED OFF THE
SAN MATEO COAST.
The Fire Caused by an Oil Elk.
plosion-Tweive Lives Lost,
and Seven Saved.


ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO TIE RHooRD-un.or.,
SAN Francesca, December 21st.-A ter
rible disaster occurred last night at sea off
Pigeon Point, by which the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company's coasting steamer San
Vicente was burned, and twelve OF her
crew lost. The fortunate appearance Of the
Queen of the Pacific enabled seven of the
crew TO escape death. The story of the res
cue IS told as follows by J. J. Tobin, one of
the passengers on the Queen of the Pacific
DISCOVERY OF THE SHIP ON FIRE.
Not since the terrible and fatal disaster to
the steamship Pacific OF the Coast Steam
ship line has such loss occurred to this
company as that of last night. near Pigeon
Point, about forty-fve miles from this CITY.
About P. NJ. last evening the Queen of the
Pacific was steaming along toward San
Francisco in q smooth sea. Everybody on
board, after enjoying hearty dinner, was
happy, and sounds of mirth and laughter
could be heard on every side.
AN ALARM OF FIRE.
Suddenly there rang out on the air the
loud, piercing loot toot toot of the steam
whistle, followed by the shrill whistle of
the officer in command giving the signal of
fire alarm. Here and there was heard the
trampling of many feet, shouts of many
voices, and rushing to duty of every one of
the 107 men. all told, engaged in the en-
ploy of the Pacific Coast Steamship Com
pany on board of the good ship Queen.
AS the vessel did not stop, and as no
ors,ae S,f oil Id IL
of the passengers on board, no panic en-
sued. Still many flew to the places where
life preservers were to be had and took
them in hand. The cry of "a false alarm.
a false alarm" soon restored the equanimitv
of the passengers, and as before. all went
merry as marriage belln The disci-
pine manifested consequent upon the
alarm was excellent, and speaks well for
the officers and men. All the passengers
had retired to their berths and the hour of
1870 P. NJ. had arrived, when, under the
rules OF the company, lights must be put
out, when another, and, unfortunately this
time, true alarm was heard.
DREAMING OF sHIPwREcK.
The Captain was lying asleep on his
lounge, dreaming at the time, as he him.
self tells, of shipwreck near Tacoma, in
which he thought himself to be one of the
IL,
Second Officer Olsen, who was on duty,
rushed in and reused the Captain from his
slumbers, saying ship was on fire off the
starboard bow. The Captain hastily DON
ned en- overall and rushed on deck, where
he met at the same time the efficient First
Officer of the ship, Frank Nash
At once all hands were piped on deck.
There, sure enough, could be seen, Just d.
rectly ahead, ship on fire. Soon loud
cries for help were heard amid the dark
ness. The Captain at once ordered three
boats to be manned and lowered,
No need of calling for volunteers. The
men went calamity to the rescue, and sew
eral had TO be put back as the officers did
not want To overcrowd the boats with the
too-willing rescurers.
GOING TO THE RESCUE.
The second officer, William Olsen. who
had been the first to discover the burning
steamer, had also the honor of being in |
command Of the first rescuing boat which |
left the Queen of the Pacific. The first
officer was placed in command of the |
second rescuing boat, and the third officer |
OF the third and last boat
Immediately boat from the burning
steamer was seen, the men CRYING ont for
help. Second Officer Olsen rescued four
men from this boat and First Officer Nash
one, making five in all. It was quickly
learned that the vessel on fire was the San
Nincente of the Pacific Coast Steamship
Line, and that she had crew of nineteen
hands all told. The five men rescued from
the San Nincente's boat were soon wrapped
in blankets and restoratives applied on
board the Queen. They were found to con.
sist of the first mate of the Inflated vessel
and four seamen.
NAMES OF THE RESCUED.
The mates name is Charles Green. He is
magnificent type of manhood, in the
very prime of life-smooth face and very
light hair and complexion. The names of
the four seamen who were rescued are Al |
bert Linden, August Simpson, Henry Olsen
and Joe Alfonso Bald. They were taken
to the torecastle, and their fellow sailors
there did everything in their power to re-
store and make them comfortable
When the first mate of the San Vicente
was restored to the full possession of his
faculties, he manifested the strongest de-
sire to know the fate OF his comrades. The
third bost of the Queen had gone toward
| the burning ship in hopes of rescuing more
of the crew. Most of the passengers of the
Queen had left their beds, and, leaning over
| the gunwale, peered through the darkness
awaiting the result. Again and again from
the upper deck had the Captain TO issue an
| order 20 the passengers to refrain from
| talking, as every ear and eye was now on
| the strain. The tension was almost I'M
| bearable. After about an hour had elapsed
some of the timid began TO whisper that
the rescuing boat itself. with the gallant
| third officer, Ingram had been lost. But
not so. 1t was seen approaching through
| the darkness and reached the ship in safety
with the Captain and second mate of the
doomed San Vicente. The former. Can
| tain Charles Lewis, is a man of herculean
| build, and is one of the oldest and most
trusted officers of the company. Formerly
he held the position OF first officer of the
Queen of the Pacific, and is, therefore.
known to many travellers along the coast.
Like true Captain, he was the last to
leave his ship. If the rescuing boat had
been but five minutes later in reaching the
burning vessel, it would have been too
late, as the Captain and his companion had
constructed raft out of the scanty mate
rails left from the fire, and were just on the
point of launching it. The name of the
second mate rescued is Charles Spratt. He
is not a large man. and would undoubtedly
have succumbed soon if placed on the raft
exposed to the elements.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE
Spratt said that, although he had been
twenty years at sea, this was the first time
he had experience of fire on board ship,
although he had been five times ship
wrecked. He said, when asked as to the
cause of the fire, that he did not know. 1t
was not his watch at the time, and he was
below in his berth when the cook rushed
in and told him the ship was on fire. He
jumped up, and attired only in his shirt
and drawers, ran on deck, to see all the
forward part of the vessel in flames.
CRY FOR HELP.
The Queen of the Pacific still lowered
around the burning vessel, and all hands
kept an anxious lookout to see if there was
not some chance left to rescue more of the
crew. Suddenly some one cries out: "A
voice crying out for help" A young lady |
on board rushed up to where Colonel ]. j.
Tobin was standing and with deenlv carr